6 Companies Building the Car of the Future

A look at who's behind the tech in the cabin and under the hood

Google

Much to the chagrin of driving enthusiasts, the car of the future might not even require an operator. Internet search-engine giant Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) actually is developing a vehicle that drives itself. The Google vehicle will navigate using video cameras, radar sensors, a laser range-finder and detailed maps supplied by the company’s map operations.

Though a real driverless car still is a thing of the future, the future might come faster than you think. Google already has successfully lobbied for new regulations allowing its autonomous vehicles to be road-tested and registered in Nevada, and there’s a bill in the California state senate to allow the vehicle to be tested there. Who knows? Maybe someday if you get caught speeding in the car of the future, you’ll just be able to blame it on Google.

As of this writing, Jim Woods did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.